Luke Mockridge’s malicious comments about the para-athletes were followed by an insight from the comedian. After much criticism of his statements, he backtracked and apologized to the athletes. “Of course, it was never my intention to ridicule people with disabilities – especially during these great Paralympic Games,” Mockridge wrote on Instagram.

“From my own experience working with disabled people, I have always experienced a sharp, dark sense of humor that I have celebrated. I am truly sorry that I failed to convey that properly and that I have hurt people,” he wrote. “It also pisses me off that at the end of these Paralympic Games, the media are talking more about me and not about the tournament.”

In a podcast, the 35-year-old had mocked athletes at the games in Paris, which are coming to an end this Sunday. “There are people without legs and arms, you throw them into a pool – and whoever drowns last wins,” Mockridge said in the podcast “Die Deutschen” among other things.

The talk was published in mid-August. Two-time Olympic track cycling champion Kristina Vogel, who is in a wheelchair after a training accident, commented on the statements on social media and described them as “unbelievable”.

Sharp criticism from silver medalist Niko Kappel

Shot put world champion and Paris silver medalist Niko Kappel explained in response to a dpa query: “Luke Mockridge and his two fellow competitors are unlucky that contempt for humanity, ignorance and bad taste are not Paralympic. Otherwise they would have been able to experience these great games as athletes and would have been hot candidates for gold.”

DBS does not want to pay any greater attention to the article

Before the apology, the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) had responded to the mockery by inviting Mockridge. “We would like to encourage people to watch para-sports live in order to experience the impressive achievements that people with disabilities are capable of – and to understand what an enrichment they are for our society.”

The comedian explained that he was “very happy” to accept the invitation. He was looking forward to “the change of perspective and to actively learning. Comedy and sport should be fun – always! Today that didn’t work out and that’s on me,” he concluded in his statement.

The president of the Berlin Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association had demanded an apology before Mockridge’s statement and spoke of an “unprecedented slip-up. This cannot be dismissed as comedy or mere stupidity,” Özcan Mutlu told the German Press Agency: “Such derogatory statements are absolutely unacceptable and deserve strong condemnation.” Mockridge should be deeply ashamed.

Vogel: “Dehumanizing sh**”

The fact that the statements were made public in the first place is probably due to Vogel’s post on Instagram. “For the question of why people talk themselves hoarse because there are still people who say such inhumane sh** and just put down disabled people. Here is just one example, it is unbelievable,” she wrote.

After a training accident, the former world-class track cyclist is paralyzed. In her post on Instagram Story, she also shared a short excerpt with further statements from Mockridge.

Trouble in the TV garden

Mockridge had already caused a stir in the past, including with an irritating appearance on the “ZDF-Fernsehgarten”. “However, the jokes that Luke Mockridge told today were neither to our sense of humour nor that of the audience. Unfortunately, there is nothing more to say, the performance speaks for itself,” ZDF said at the time.

The comedian Mockridge was once one of the faces of Sat.1. In August 2021, he announced a break and has hardly appeared on television since then. From mid-September, Mockridge will host the Sat.1 show “What’s in the Box? The Comedy Quiz”.